A Test of Friendship
by amaterasu-12
Summary: Ever since Ruka and Hotaru began dating, they started to spend less time with their best friends. That didn't actually make Natsume and Mikan very happy. So they made a silly plan to get back at them. This is my first fic. NxM people... Hope you enjoy!


Chapter 1

The cafeteria was packed with high school students at that time. At one table, Mikan Sakura was sitting alone, while waiting for her so-called best friend. Minutes passed and she was getting impatient. She looked around. Her friends were eating with _their _friends. No one seems to be eating alone at the moment. She cast her eyes around the room some more. Then, her amber eyes landed on one table and saw a haughty profile of a raven-haired boy, also sitting without _his_ best friend. Feeling eyes on him, he looked up from the manga he was reading and caught his scarlet eyes with Mikan's. Mikan smiled at him, which the boy gladly didn't return.

Rolling her eyes, she picked up her tray and headed towards him. She settled on the seat across him and said cheerily, "Hi, Natsume!"

"What do you want?" he asked quietly.

"I just want to sit with you, Natsume," she said calmly. "Ruka's missing too, isn't he?"

Natsume gave a small nod. "Probably with Imai again," His voice sounded different, as if he was bottling up his anger.

"More like his _sweetheart _or _honey. _It's disgusting, the way they call each other." Mikan shuddered.

Ruka Nogi and Hotaru Imai were going out at the present time. They would always disappear from time to time, occasionally leaving Mikan and Natsume behind.

"This is the fifth time Hotaru didn't come when she said she would." Mikan said, hurt evident in her voice.

"Get used to it, cry baby." Natsume sneered at her.

"I wasn't going to cry!" said Mikan indignantly.

"Who said you would?"

"Then, where did the name 'cry baby' come from?" Mikan said.

"You always cry, stupid," he retorted.

Mikan glared at him and said, "No, I don't!" She squeezed the plastic cup in her hand and juice flew from it, drenching Natsume's face and her own.

_Uh-oh…_

Natsume lifted his hand and wiped his face, while glowering at Mikan. He burned the sandwich on Mikan's plate into more than toast that it was black all over.

"What did you do that for?" Mikan said, standing up. She picked up her handkerchief and leaned forward to wipe his face.

"I can do it myself!" Natsume growled, snatching her pink handkerchief from her hand. He looked at it in disgust and threw it back to her. "_Pink?"_

"I'm a girl, stupid. What do you expect?" Mikan said sardonically and continued on wiping his face.

"Oh, really? I failed to notice." Natsume said crossly, pushing away Mikan. "That's enough!"

"You're _welcome,_" Mikan said, a hint of sarcasm still found in her voice. She sank back down on her chair. "I—I'm sorry."

"Whatever," Natsume muttered.

They heard their names being called. They both turned around. Ruka and Hotaru were running towards them.

"Good. They decided to show up _now_." Mikan said, annoyed. She wiped her wet face and dried it.

"Hi," Hotaru said, looking flushed. Natsume noticed her wrinkled uniform and Ruka's blown away hair.

"Hi," Mikan said stiffly, as the two sat down. "Where have you been?"

"We were trying to do something in the library." Ruka said, reaching for the apple on Natsume's tray. He took a bite on it.

"Like what, kissing non-stop in the library?" Natsume said dryly, observing their recent, messy state.

Mikan giggled, then looked down when she saw Hotaru's angry gaze on her. She stuffed herself with a bag of chips to stop from laughing.

"Very funny," Hotaru said, her voice dangerously soft. Her face and Ruka's instantly turned pink at what Natsume said.

"I wasn't trying to be funny." he said.

"Your _girlfriend_ here found it very amusing."

Mikan choked. "Ow," she coughed. She grabbed her throat and coughed hard.

"Here," Ruka offered, giving her his bottle of water.

"Thanks," Mikan gulped it all up and was blushing furiously. She looked up and saw Natsume was a little red too, but that didn't stop him from looking mad.

"Shut up, Imai," he said quietly.

"It looks like I touched a nerve." Hotaru said evenly. "Let's go, Ruka."

Ruka reluctantly stood up and shot an apologetic look at Natsume. He followed Hotaru out of the cafeteria.

Both were silent for awhile, then Mikan spoke up.

"Those two are really annoying. They were here already then they left us." Mikan said, definite not to mention anything that just happened.

Natsume grunted. He couldn't help agreeing with her. He and Ruka usually hang out together, but now he's always with annoying and evil girlfriend. He wondered how he ever fell in love with her. Maybe Imai forced him.

"If they could just feel what we're feeling now. Always being thrown to the side whenever they're together," Mikan continued.

His eyes suddenly turned to her in surprise. "That's an idea."

"What's an idea?"

"Us getting them to feel what they're doing to us now. Payback," Natsume said simply.

"But how?" She wasn't getting any of what Natsume was saying.

"We do these things to them," he said.

"You mean, we hook up, then do things to them like ignore them and stuff?"

"I don't mean being your boyf—" Then he stopped. Being Mikan's boyfriend, now that's something he would want to do, seeing as he couldn't confess his stupid feelings to her. He could settle for the second best thing he could do. "Well, sure, but don't take this seriously," he added quickly. "We're just going to pretend we're together."

"_Duh,_" Mikan said, looking at him as if he was dumb. "Until we get our revenge on them, we'll stop doing it. Deal?"

"Fine,"

"Well, let's start now," Mikan said excitedly. Pretending to be Natsume's girlfriend is going to be so much fun. She stood up, walked towards the seat beside Natsume and sat down.

"Don't get too close to me," Natsume muttered. "Ruka and Imai aren't here, so don't do anything yet."

"But, how can we convince other people, Natsume?" she cooed.

Mikan had a point. "Fine," Natsume said.

She beamed. Mikan rested her elbow on the table, while leaning her head on her hand and watched him.

"What're you doing?" Natsume asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Acting in love with you," she said. Mikan leaned in closer towards him and touched her lips, as she did so. She reached out her hand and rested it on his knee, while going much closer to him.

Natsume ignored her and prevented an urge to bring out an all out blush, when he felt her hand touch his knee gently. He stared at his manga, not quite taking in the words he was reading.

"Don't ignore me," Mikan said, smiling sweetly at him. Her hand moved and it enclosed around his.

_Why does she have to make me blush? _Natsume thought bitterly, his face suddenly hot. He looked down at their locked hands and saw how perfect they fit with together.

"Natsume, you're—you're all red," Mikan whispered, leaning her head at him, that only inches were between their noses.

_I didn't know I could make him blush._

Before Natsume could glare at Mikan and pull his hand away, they heard an audible gasp and looked up. Koko, Yuu, Anna and Nonoko were staring at them, shock written all over their faces.

"The—the t—two of you are," Anna said, "going _out_?"

Mikan gave a sheepish smile. "Um, well, yeah," She nodded.

Nonoko's eyes sparkled. "The power of love," she said dramatically. "I just _knew _you'd be together!"

Natsume caught Kokoroyomi's eyes and cursed. He was looking at him amusedly.

_Stop reading my mind!_

Koko grinned mischievously, mouthing, "I know what you're up to."

_Don't tell anyone, or else, _Natsume thought threateningly.

"Come on," Natsume said, standing up when he heard the bell.

"Uh, yeah," Mikan turned to her friends. "Bye!"

"Bye Mikan!"

"Good luck together!"

Hey, Natsume, wait up!" Mikan said, running to keep up with him.

"Don't be so loud," Natsume said, as they walked out the cafeteria.

"We fooled them!" Mikan said, laughing hard. "Like _we_ would be going out. We're just after Ruka and Hotaru. Right, Natsume?"

Natsume clenched his fists tightly and frowned. "Yeah,"


End file.
